How low can a helicopter fly over the ocean?

2 Answers. There's no minimum altitude over open water but the pilot must stay at least 500ft away from the boats, per 14 CFR 91.119: (c) Over other than congested areas. An altitude of 500 feet above the surface, except over open water or sparsely populated areas.



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In 1967, two HH-3E helicopters made the first non-stop helicopter flight across the Atlantic Ocean from New York to the 27th Paris Air Show. Igor Sikorsky (right) and his son, Sergei, welcomed the U.S. Air Force crew.

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But landing a helicopter in a confined area is actually very difficult. It requires precise use of the controls, and the ability to hover the helicopter without moving it at all in the horizontal plane. For this reason it is something which is not learned until quite late on in the Private Pilots' course.

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